Method for producing a material with a network of at least two polymers, a product thereof and use of the product

Abstract

The present invention relates to an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) material comprising a copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide, and a homo-polymer or a copolymer of at least one monomer selected from acrylamide or derivatives thereof, acrylic acid or derivatives thereof, or a mixture thereof forming the IPN material together with the copolymer of vinylamine-vinyl-formamide. The present invention further relates to a process for producing the IPN material, and to use of the IPN material in paper industry.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for producing an interpenetrating network (IPN) material comprising:
 i) providing an aqueous solution comprising a copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide, and at least one monomer selected from a group consisting of acrylamide or derivatives thereof, acrylic acid or derivatives thereof, or a mixture thereof; 
 ii) polymerizing in situ the at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylamide or derivatives thereof, acrylic acid or derivatives thereof, or a mixture thereof to form the IPN material together with the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide; and 
 iii) obtaining the IPN material. 
 
     
     
       2. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the acrylamide derivative is selected from a group consisting of N-methylolacrylamide, N-methylol(meth)acrylamide, N, N-dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide, N, N-dimethylaminopropylacrylamide, N, N-dimethylaminopropylmethacrylamide, N-dimethylaminoethylacrylamide, N-[2-(dimethylamino)-1,1-dimethylethyl]acrylamide; and
 the acrylic acid derivative is selected from cationic acrylic acid or anionic acrylic acid. 
 
     
     
       3. The process according to  claim 2 , wherein the cationic acrylic acid is selected from a group consisting of 2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride, (3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethyl ammonium chloride, 2-(diethylamino)ethyl acrylate, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate, [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]-trimethylammonium chloride, [3-(methacryloylamino)propyl]trimethylammonium chloride. 
     
     
       4. The process according to  claim 2 , wherein the anionic acrylic acid is selected from a group consisting of acrylic acid, acryloyl chloride, methacrylic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, sodium 2-(acryloylamino)2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate. 
     
     
       5. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one monomer are acrylamide and cationic acrylic acid; and
 acrylamide and [2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl]-trimethyl ammonium chloride. 
 
     
     
       6. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide a has degree of hydrolysis 1-99%. 
     
     
       7. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide has degree of hydrolysis 99-100%. 
     
     
       8. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein there is present a cross-linking agent in the step ii), the cross-linking agent present in the step ii) is selected from a group consisting of N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide 1,4-bis(acryloyl)piperazine, N,N′-(1-methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)bis(2-propenamide), N,N′-propylidenebis(2-propenamide), N, N′-butylidenebis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,12-dodecanediylbis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,9-nonanediylbis(2-propenamide), N,N′-1,5-pentanediylbis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,4-butanediylbis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,6-hexanediylbis(2-propenamide), N,N′-ethylidenebis(2-propenamide), N,N′-1,3-propanediylbis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,2-ethanediylbis(2-propenamide), N,N′-1,4-cyclohexanediylbis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,8-octanediylbis(2-propenamide), N,N′-bisacryloyly imidazoline, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, 1,4-diacroyl piperazine, pentaerythritol triacrylate, trimethylpropane trimethylacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate or N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide. 
     
     
       9. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the obtained IPN material from iii) is dried or dried and milled. 
     
     
       10. The process according to  claim 1 , wherein an amount of the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide is 0.1-75 wt. % based on the weight of the monomers in the solution. 
     
     
       11. An interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) material comprising:
 copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide; and 
 a homopolymer or a copolymer of at least one monomer selected from acrylamide or derivatives thereof, acrylic acid or derivatives thereof, or a mixture thereof forming the IPN material together with the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide, wherein the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide has a degree of hydrolysis between 1-99%. 
 
     
     
       12. The IPN material according to  claim 11 , wherein the homopolymer or the copolymer is cationic. 
     
     
       13. The IPN material according to  claim 11 , wherein the polymer is a copolymer of acrylamide and cationic acryl acid. 
     
     
       14. The IPN material according to  claim 11 , wherein the IPN material is in a form of an emulsion. 
     
     
       15. The IPN material according to  claim 11 , wherein standard viscosity of the IPN material is 1-5 cP, measured with Brookfield viscometer using UL adapter at 25° C. 
     
     
       16. The IPN material according to  claim 11 , wherein an amount of the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide is 0.1-75 wt. % based on the weight of the IPN material. 
     
     
       17. The IPN material according to  claim 11 , wherein the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide has degree of hydrolysis 99-100%.